Papers presented by Sudev Sheth since 2019
2022 Mexico City
"Gandhi and the Confluence of Global Ideas of Business Responsibility"
Sudev Sheth, The Lauder Institute
Abstract:
The lasting portrayal of Gandhi as a frail and sparsely clad idealist who used civil disobedience to overthrow the British in India has actually prevented us from grasping the context, nature, and impact of his ideologies. Gandhi’s notion of business as trusteeship is a particularly good example of his lasting legacy hidden in plain sight. The essence of business trusteeship is preserving communities, environments, and relationships while building value through profit. Simply put, how we do business is as important as what we do business in. Both during his own time and in the decades after Indian Independence in 1947, Gandhi’s notion of trusteeship guided business leaders looking to reconcile the seemingly incompatible goals of profit-making and social responsibility. This paper focuses on the philosophy and development of Gandhian business ethics through his autobiographical writings, correspondence with business leaders of his time, and other historical evidence such as newspaper accounts. Due to his prominence and visibility, it is relatively easy to claim Gandhian rhetoric around business impacted his contemporaries, many of whom actually provided succor and funding to Gandhi’s political activities. However, it is quite another to insist that Gandhi actually shaped the very bedrock of Indian business and strategies of subsequent industry leaders beyond his own time. To make this novel point, the authors rely on a unique database of interviews with business leaders from India held as part of the Creating Emerging Markets archive at the Harvard Business School. By combining insights from business leaders across industries active between 1948 and the present, we extend our historical analysis of Gandhi’s philosophy and actions to demonstrate the lasting impact he had on business after India’s Independence from the British in 1947. The case represents a classic case of imprinting.